


Enchanted

by Infinity2020



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: During Canon, Fade to Black Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Porn with Feelings, Rimming, Sexual Content, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinity2020/pseuds/Infinity2020
Summary: Somehow, in the space of a few tense hours, along the stretch of moonlit road from York to Downton Abbey, Richard Ellis had fallen deeply under a spell by the name of Thomas Barrow.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	Enchanted

**Author's Note:**

> Companion story to my [Who, indeed?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25800982) drabble. Mainly from Richard's POV, with some bits from Thomas' which I tried to set a bit apart on the right side, because this is a structural nightmare and I apologize in advance. 
> 
> I want to dedicate it to Hobbit_Kate, whose 'heat stroke' comment on aforementioned drabble inspired me to start scribbling this fic (which originally was around 1000 words and then somehow grew to 3000+... whooops). In hindsight, an awkwardly-written, barely realistic, likely unsafe porn slice is not the most appropriate gift to say 'thank you!', but it's the thought that counts, right? (sweatdrop).

_Somehow, in the space of a few tense hours, along the stretch of moonlit road from York to Downton Abbey, Richard Ellis had fallen deeply under a spell by the name of Thomas Barrow._

For most of the evening, Richard's head had been a confusing jumble of _I was too late, he's gone_ and _a dark street flooding with policemen_ and _dancing the tango with another man_ and _the look of horror on the sergeant's face_ and _I'm afraid I've been a silly boy_ and _nervous eyes widening in realization..._ cold fear and jealousy and angry satisfaction and relief and umitigated happiness and fondness all getting tangled into the most frightful mess. 

Nonetheless, in the end he had managed to keep his cool for all of it, as he usually did even in the most stressful circumstances, tipping his hat and offering Mr Barrow a reassuring smile.  
Ever mindful of his rather shaken companion, he had driven slowly on the way back; spoken to him in low, soothing tones - what a fierce, consuming wish he had, to alleviate his distress and bring him comfort. To his relief, by the time they had reached the outskirts of the village, he had successfully coaxed the other man into releasing what must have been an exhausting medley of conflicting emotions.

Richard's own impulses, on the other hand, had eventually betrayed him in a most unusual and decidedly improper fashion.

Hardly aware of his general surroundings, all of his senses were single-mindedly focused on the butler while he unlocked the rear entrance to the mansion, and on the shape of his cheekbone and the sliver of skin peeking over the shirt collar and the occasional whiff of his cologne, and Richard took off his hat so he could clench something-

He was almost shaking from the effort to hold still, because if he didn't he feared he might do something foolish-

The key turned with a dull click which sounded excessively loud to his ears; like an internal echo, the reins of his tight self-mastery snapped.

A second later, both their hats went flying.

_As much as they had shared that night, Thomas hadn't really expected any of what followed; he was convinced anything that might happen between them had been ruined from the start._

He absolutely revelled in the boyish cry of surprise he caused as he all but trapped Mr Barrow between himself and the wooden surface, the whole length of his frame implacably pressed against his back- _yet too many sodding layers between them..._

_He couldn't help but let out an embarrassing yelp as he was unexpectedly crowded against the door, of the 'caught between a rock and a hard place' sort, yet not undesirable by any means..._

"Mr Ellis?"

His fingers closed over the hand braced on the wood-

"Richard... m-my name is Richard." His voice already sounded hoarse, wrecked, _God..._

-thumb rubbing along the side suggestively- _control yourself-_

A stuttered whisper. "... Tho-Thomas." 

Richard tugged a bit at the white collar, burying his face right there, breathing almost in time with a delicately gulping throat- _control yourself-_  
Breath suddenly heavy, Thomas tilted his neck just so, as if to offer him an even better go at it; unabashedly, he took full advantage, brushing his lips and then the length of his tongue over the exposed skin- _get a hold of yourself, bloody hell-_

_A faint gasp escaped him as Richard traced a line up to the hinge of his jaw, and all he wanted was to lean back and melt into him and let him carry on... but they had to-_

-then Thomas turned his head and murmured "w-we should... i-inside...", his tone husky and borderline provocative, a hot puff of air right into his ear, and...

He was losing it.

To their credit, they managed to stay silent the whole way up to the attics, the near darkness fuelling their reckless intent to hold on to each other and sneak a pet here and a peck there, very much like a pair of giddy sweethearts impatient to be together for the first time, and wasn't that a painfully funny thought...

He was forgetting himself in the most unbelievable, irrevocable manner, forgetting himself in the presence of one single, if very remarkable, human being - and such a thing had never happened to him before, never, and it was nothing short of mind-blowing and he was losing track of everything, anything-

Soon they were standing in front of the butler's room. Something strong and compelling took over Richard again, blinding him, exciting him to a frankly ridiculous level; before he even knew what he was doing, he had used his arms to bracket the other man against the door, so very hungry to steal a proper kiss. 

_Heavens, this man..._

_"Richard!"_

Thomas called his name in a quiet hiss as if attempting to tell him off - and who could blame him, because hadn't Richard himself warned him to be more circumspect just a couple of hours ago - 

_He was SO going to lecture him back at some point, seriously, he was-_

\- yet didn't seem inclined to resist him any further. A gentle bite on those full lips to entice them to part for him- _such a thrill when they promptly did-_ and then Richard pushed on and on, in a frenzy, making Thomas cock his head slightly to one side to avoid bumping noses, and for a few moments all he could hear was a cacophony of harsh inhales and exhales and blood rushing in his ears and muffled sounds that went straight to his loins and he might as well have been on fire...

What was it, about Thomas Barrow, that made Richard feel as if his body wasn't his to properly control anymore and he were a mere spectator of his own actions, not unlike a drifting character in a very vivid dream, and still every emotion and sensation seemed hightened to such an extent he might as well have received an injection of adrenaline - _he knew it he knew it he knew it this man was nothing less than a wonderfully dangerous drug he had known it since that first fateful smile and who the hell cared that the butler had been making fun of his job if he made Richard feel this boldly alive-_

_When he drew back, he swept his tongue a few times along Richard's lips, making him shiver; he proudly watched the other man's eyes go darker in reaction-_

Thomas was grinning, with an open playfulness which suited him. 

Mmm, revenge would be that much sweeter for both of th- _you're still in the corridor get out of sight for God's sake!_

What was it, about this bloke he had just met, that made him feel as if his mind was born for him, born for this purpose: to record and catalogue any single moment, any tiny detail which caused his heart to pulse with utmost vigor and tremendous arousal to sizzle in his veins- 

And now he pulled and pulled on his lover's undershirt, unyielding, adventurous tongue licking along the expanse of that graceful back as it was revealed, little by little, until the fabric bunched up in his armpits. 

_A drag of teeth, then a wet touch at the nape of his neck had him bit out a swear..._

Thomas hastened to take the garment off, dropping it on the floor. Satisfied, Richard wasted no time in hooking his fingers into the underpants, tugging down just as relentlessly as before, impatient to remove this last obstacle - _can't wait to see all of him, want all of him..._

And since when was Richard a man of such immoderate behaviour and unbridled passion - _so reserved, so collected_ \- since when had he not been found wanting in these regards - _too much of this, too little of that_ \- he had been told in the past - _it's not enough, you'll never be enough_ \- fuck them, fuck all of them, he would be more than enough for Thomas Barrow, he would, if it was the last thing he did - _nobody likes complicated, do you even know what it means to feel, can you properly feel anything, do you ever let yourself go-_

_'I do, I can! For the first time in my life I feel like I'm really letting go and it's overwhelming and I can barely restrain myself-'_

Keeping hold of his lover's waist, he started trailing a moist path downward; such deed ripped out the most delectable of whimpers, and, all of a sudden, he forced himself to pause and breathe hotly against the quivering skin, because _Lord,_ even that tiny, innocuous sound of gratification risked to undo him and erase what little reasoning was left in him, threatened his already frail sanity...

What was it, that made him feel as if he were overheating and about to combust or perhaps explode-

And then Thomas reached back and softly tugged at short strands of his hair in a mute plea for him to continue, and how could Richard ever refuse? 

_'Anything, yes, I'm ready to do anything for you... say the word and I'll give you all that is in my power to give...'_

"Let me..."

He crowded Thomas against the bed, nudging at his shoulders and petting his arms-

And he got a bit tense at first, apprehensive, his Thomas - _don't get ahead of yourself and call him yours_ \- the logical part of his brain reminded him - _you've no claim over him, have you?_

(But God help him, he wanted it so much - to make this man his, in any possible meaning of the word)

"Let me..."

-encouraging him to kneel on it and then lower his back for him - _yes, please, do it for me... please, from now on do it only for me_ \- so he could watch and drink in and get inebriated...

And while he stood still for a few beats and stared, Thomas was looking back at him with an expectant eyebrow raised yet a vague trace of unsure, appearing surprisingly fragile in his crouch; and Richard felt he could almost picture the inevitable thoughts running through the butler's mind, such familiar thoughts - _got to be careful, stay alert, should I trust him, always watch your back, should I risk it, too vulnerable..._

(After all, they had both had a significant scare that night, hadn't they? And his companion much more so than him, naturally, if the unsettling tears shed in the relative safety of their car had been anything to go by)

He got on the mattress and bent down as well, wrapping his arms around the other man's torso - _not that out of control, you're safe_ \- tenderly, reassuringly - _would never hurt you, never_ \- pressing his forehead beneath his shoulderblades and dropping a kiss right there, and then a lingering one in the middle of his back, and then another one on his left flank...

_Sighing deeply, he loosened up and let himself enjoy the careful ministrations... and perhaps he shouldn't have trusted so easily, but hadn't Richard already proved himself to the extreme, in a way Thomas could scarcely hope to repay?_

... and his hands, he couldn't stop his fretting hands - _need to touch him, touch him everywhere_ \- grazing over the- _curious_ \- glove on the left hand, feeling suspicious lines along the inside of his wrists - _oh no no no... oh darling, my darling_ \- brushing his fingers all the way from chest to navel and through the hair just below, then sweeping his palms on his sides, discovering a peculiar scar on his right hip - _who did this to you, what hurt you here_ \- and he had to have a taste...

What was it, that made Richard want to worship and yet also ravish this man, over and over and over, and shield his heart from their cruel society - _will they ever see it our way?_ \- and cocoon him - _I don't know I don't know-_

(I wish I had the power to create a whole new world, a better one, just for you)

-and swallow him whole so he could keep him for himself - _selfish, you're always so selfish_ \- and keep him forever, forever-

Therefore he mouthed and nipped, wetly, feverishly, at that long, rippling stretch of muscles - _could feast on you for hours_ \- and reached around to teasingly fondle his member, cupping and squeezing the delicate flesh, and _yes_ , here came several whimpers, higher, and Richard dove down to swallow them into his own mouth- _shh my silly boy, nobody else must hear such sweet, sweet noises..._

What was it, that made Richard crave to envelop him and take him- _you could take him right now_ \- his primal instincts hissed; and had he been a very different kind of man, the careless type he despised and regularly avoided, he would have had no regard, but for all his faults Richard was no beast, no, never had been, not even at his worst-

All of it positively electrified him, drove him to rise again and slide his insatiable tongue along the small of his back, then lower and lower and soon he was delving into hidden, tender skin...

_The hand stroking him was almost this side of too much, somehow, such a long time since he had been-_

_Behind him, his lover kept going down, until he was nosing right in-_

**_Oh..._ **

_Oh fuck-_

Choking out something halfway between a gasp and moan, Thomas sunk from his hands to his forearms and bit his lip to stifle louder sounds - _and heaven help him, what a rewarding sight that was_ \- and it did nothing but spur Richard on and on... untiring, he licked a thorough stripe all the way up to the tailbone and gripped the hardened length tighter on a downward stroke, just to spy those piercing eyes fall shut and that bottom lip go a little bit redder - _yes, him and all of him at his mercy, yes_ \- and would he ever be able to stop...

He moved his other hand on a heaving abdomen, feeling it contract under his greedy fingers and yes, that dark, savage voice within him hissed again, _yes_ , he could have easily covered that unresisting body and slid his own throbbing length all the way inside and found out if those muscles would feel the same to his touch then, he could have, yet no, _no, **no**_ , he would never do that, never act in such a conniving, despicable manner, never betray the trust he had been given - _always respect your partner, always_ \- not the right time, not the right way; another day, though, another day perhaps he would discover how it felt to be fully sheathed inside Thomas Barrow, how it felt to hold him in one of his most defenceless moments, how it felt to arrange his limbs in the best ways to please him, how it felt to completely ruin him for anybody else- _cease being so bloody selfish!_

What was it, that made Richard crave to have him, possess him - _though he is no property, no, absolutely not_ \- and throw all caution to the wind for his sake - _of course, you'll want to see proof of my identity_ \- and get him to smile like a carefree little lad, and pamper him with attentions and care, and offer him everything, everything blokes like them could ever aspire to - _he is so very precious already, invaluable-_

But tonight, what he wanted most tonight, really, was for Thomas to forget all blackness and bleakness and experience the rapture he so tremendously longed for. 

_"That silver tongue of yours must come in handy quite often, Mr Ellis." Thomas remarked in a mischievous tone._

_Both of them still blissfully high on the success of a well-executed plan._

_Richard dared exhibit a vaguely suggestive smile. "You don't know the extent of it, Mr Barrow, I can assure you. Yet."_

Tonight, he would have him this way. 

And so Richard grabbed him and clutched him tightly by sweaty hipbones and angled him whichever way he needed and went for it.

_His member pulsed unbearably and he felt hot and breathless and dizzy with the effort to keep his mouth in check, as Richard laved at his inner thighs and flicked at all the most sensitive spots he could reach from behind-_

He enthusiastically licked all over and then prodded in the tight heat, and had his lover tremble on his knees and elbows, and muffle desperate cries into the pillow...

(In the end, isn't that exactly how it is for us in this harsh existence, we must live and love in the shadows and not really be heard, never)

What was it, really, that made Richard smile, all affection and euphoria and pride, while he drove Thomas to lose his own sanity - _what a pair we make right now, you and I, and oh, how harmonious that sounds, you and I-_

Kneading and spreading firm buttocks, he eventually forced his tongue inside as much as he could...

_-and Lord what on earth was happening to him-_

He thrust his slippery muscle that little bit in, and out, over and over again...

_-holding himself back had never been this difficult before-_

... then there was a strangled whine of Richard's name and 

_So good so good but so much slow down too much all at once too much he couldn't he couldn't_

"P-please wait... I-I can't..."

_'Yes, yes you can, you can take all the pleasure you deserve and more...'_

Richard was nothing if not a gentleman, though, and even in his overexcited state he would never forget his partner, never disregard his wish, never ignore his call; he immediately pulled away, breathing hard, and let the other man collapse into a slump on the rumpled sheets. Still, his hands seemed to have a mind of their own, rubbing and stroking all the soft, pale skin at his disposal, because for some reason _he was unable to stop touching him-_

Face half buried into the pillow, Thomas looked back at him with one glassy blue eye; then, even amidst short, fast pants, his mouth parted into a sort of gleefully triumphant smirk... followed soon enough by a low, delighted chuckle. 

_He laughed and laughed, all exhilaration and no restraint and no fear, because Richard Ellis was magnificent in his focused passion and Thomas had done this, somehow, broken his composed exterior and unleashed this fiercely loving creature, and it was one of the best things he had accomplished in his life, ever, and he wanted him so, wanted him more than anything else in the world._

To Richard, it might as well have been a siren song.

He crawled over the mostly limp form and gently draped himself along his back, messy hair pleasantly tickling his face; all so warm and firm and so, _so lovely..._ and yet that action was such a mistake on his part because- Thomas slightly arched his spine, the movement feeling like solid water...

_Bloody hell_

... pushing his backside right against- 

He gasped and swore, echoed by another little chuckle beneath him...

_'You wicked, tempting-'_

Despite himself, Richard ended up pushing back into the vulnerable flesh curving in his groin, sharply enough to cause the prideful laugh to morph into a more wanton noise - _so, so very satisfying_ \- then he clenched his jaw and once again reminded himself he was not - _not some wild animal_ \- but if Thomas kept pressing himself up against him like that, all purposeful and hot and insistent- 

Richard would- 

No, he had to-

He rose on his hands in a flash, shaking, panting; inwardly, he praised and cursed himself all at the same time for having the willpower to hold back- _what an absolute mess he had been reduced to..._ he leaned down just enough to lay biting kisses to the upturned corner of that self-satisfied mouth- _I can't recognize myself anymore, what did you do to me, what are you doing to me-_

_'Need to see him!'_

Nuzzling his neck, he slowly coaxed Thomas to turn over underneath him - _wish to see all of you, wish to see your face_ \- so he could stare and take in and get intoxicated by his dazed icy eyes, by raven locks sticking to a damp forehead, by those inviting red lips...

_'You've enchanted me, you beautiful devil, you...'_

Tentatively, a hand reached out for him.

 _Struck by the raw emotions swirling in his eyes, directed_ at him _, Thomas swallowed and reached up to hold his cheek, all light and soft, such a contrast to their previous urgency, and how had it come to this?_

... and if before Richard had believed nobody could possibly appear dangerous and seductive and harmless and unguarded, all in one, it was because he was yet to meet Thomas Barrow and view him in such a state, and no other men would see him like that if he had any say in it - _and stop acting like a possessive sod!_

Richard nosed into the touch, pressing a kiss on the palm. He gradually lowered himself until their fronts were pressed together, relishing the sensation of their chests breathing almost in unison, of their pelvis-

-that contact inflamed them anew.

Abruptly, Thomas grasped his face between eager hands and adamantly pulled him into a borderline ferocious kiss - _could taste you in every possible way for days..._ then Richard grabbed a lean thigh and hooked it over his side so he could fit comfortably between his hips, and both of them were so gloriously hard and slick and burning- 

Soon they were moving together and it was absolutely marvellous...

And to think he had been late before, nearly too late... to think he might have lost him, just when he had found him? 

_No!_ \- his soul screamed, as he rocked with all the power he could gather and as he caressed with all the gentleness he could muster and as he kissed with all the desire he could express - _I won't be late again, I promise... for you, I'll never be late again..._

**Author's Note:**

> I wished to explore an instance where Richard has helped Thomas process his emotions, suppressing his own for the time being, until they break free despite himself. He is driven by his attraction just as much as by the wish to make Thomas feel good. For his part, Thomas is totally on board and coming to terms with his own feelings.


End file.
